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Crescenzi O, Graziano G. The interaction of thiocyanate with peptides-A computational study. J Comput Chem 2024; 45:2214-2231. [PMID: 38795315 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.27440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024]
Abstract
According to the Hofmeister series, thiocyanate is the strongest "salting in" anion. In fact, it has a strong denaturant activity against the native state of globular proteins. A molecular level rationalization of the Hofmeister series is still missing, and therefore the denaturant activity of thiocyanate also awaits a robust explanation. In the last years, different types of experimental studies have shown that thiocyanate is capable to directly interact with both polar and nonpolar groups of polypeptide chains. This finding has been scrutinized via a careful computational procedure based on density functional theory approaches. The results indicate that thiocyanate is able to make H-bonds via both the nitrogen and sulfur atom, and to make strong van der Waals interactions with almost all the groups of polypeptide chains, regardless of their polarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orlando Crescenzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Graziano
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Università del Sannio, Benevento, Italy
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2
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Clark JA, Douglas JF. Do Specific Ion Effects on Collective Relaxation Arise from Perturbation of Hydrogen-Bonding Network Structure? J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:6362-6375. [PMID: 38912895 PMCID: PMC11229691 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c02638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
The change in the transport properties (i.e., water diffusivity, shear viscosity, etc.) when adding salts to water has been used to classify ions as either being chaotropic or kosmotropic, a terminology based on the presumption that this phenomenon arises from respective breakdown or enhancement of the hydrogen-bonding network structure. Recent quasi-elastic neutron scattering measurements of the collective structural relaxation time, τC, in aqueous salt solutions were interpreted as confirming this proposed origin of ion effects on the dynamics of water. However, we find similar changes in τC in the same salt solutions based on molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using a coarse-grained water model in which no hydrogen bonding exists, challenging this conventional interpretation of mobility change resulting from the addition of salts to water. A thorough understanding of specific ion effects should be useful in diverse material manufacturing and biomedical applications, where these effects are prevalent, but poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Clark
- Materials Science and Engineering
Division, Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Jack F. Douglas
- Materials Science and Engineering
Division, Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
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3
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Foster AJ, van den Noort M, Poolman B. Bacterial cell volume regulation and the importance of cyclic di-AMP. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2024; 88:e0018123. [PMID: 38856222 PMCID: PMC11332354 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00181-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYNucleotide-derived second messengers are present in all domains of life. In prokaryotes, most of their functionality is associated with general lifestyle and metabolic adaptations, often in response to environmental fluctuations of physical parameters. In the last two decades, cyclic di-AMP has emerged as an important signaling nucleotide in many prokaryotic lineages, including Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Cyanobacteria. Its importance is highlighted by the fact that both the lack and overproduction of cyclic di-AMP affect viability of prokaryotes that utilize cyclic di-AMP, and that it generates a strong innate immune response in eukaryotes. In bacteria that produce the second messenger, most molecular targets of cyclic di-AMP are associated with cell volume control. Besides, other evidence links the second messenger to cell wall remodeling, DNA damage repair, sporulation, central metabolism, and the regulation of glycogen turnover. In this review, we take a biochemical, quantitative approach to address the main cellular processes that are directly regulated by cyclic di-AMP and show that these processes are very connected and require regulation of a similar set of proteins to which cyclic di-AMP binds. Altogether, we argue that cyclic di-AMP is a master regulator of cell volume and that other cellular processes can be connected with cyclic di-AMP through this core function. We further highlight important directions in which the cyclic di-AMP field has to develop to gain a full understanding of the cyclic di-AMP signaling network and why some processes are regulated, while others are not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. Foster
- Department of Biochemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marco van den Noort
- Department of Biochemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Bert Poolman
- Department of Biochemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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4
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Cockell CS, Hallsworth JE, McMahon S, Kane SR, Higgins PM. The Concept of Life on Venus Informs the Concept of Habitability. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:628-634. [PMID: 38800952 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
An enduring question in astrobiology is how we assess extraterrestrial environments as being suitable for life. We suggest that the most reliable assessments of the habitability of extraterrestrial environments are made with respect to the empirically determined limits to known life. We discuss qualitatively distinct categories of habitability: empirical habitability that is constrained by the observed limits to biological activity; habitability sensu stricto, which is defined with reference to the known or unknown limits to the activity of all known organisms; and habitability sensu lato (habitability in the broadest sense), which is circumscribed by the limit of all possible life in the universe, which is the most difficult (and perhaps impossible) to determine. We use the cloud deck of Venus, which is temperate but incompatible with known life, as an example to elaborate and hypothesize on these limits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles S Cockell
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - John E Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Sean McMahon
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen R Kane
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Peter M Higgins
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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5
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Fischer FC, Schulze-Makuch D, Heinz J. Microbial preference for chlorate over perchlorate under simulated shallow subsurface Mars-like conditions. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11537. [PMID: 38773211 PMCID: PMC11109124 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62346-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The Martian surface and shallow subsurface lacks stable liquid water, yet hygroscopic salts in the regolith may enable the transient formation of liquid brines. This study investigated the combined impact of water scarcity, UV exposure, and regolith depth on microbial survival under Mars-like environmental conditions. Both vegetative cells of Debaryomyces hansenii and Planococcus halocryophilus, alongside with spores of Aspergillus niger, were exposed to an experimental chamber simulating Martian environmental conditions (constant temperatures of about - 11 °C, low pressure of approximately 6 mbar, a CO2 atmosphere, and 2 h of daily UV irradiation). We evaluated colony-forming units (CFU) and water content at three different regolith depths before and after exposure periods of 3 and 7 days, respectively. Each organism was tested under three conditions: one without the addition of salts to the regolith, one containing sodium chlorate, and one with sodium perchlorate. Our results reveal that the residual water content after the exposure experiments increased with regolith depth, along with the organism survival rates in chlorate-containing and salt-free samples. The survival rates of the three organisms in perchlorate-containing regolith were consistently lower for all organisms and depths compared to chlorate, with the most significant difference being observed at a depth of 10-12 cm, which corresponds to the depth with the highest residual water content. The postulated reason for this is an increase in the salt concentration at this depth due to the freezing of water, showing that for these organisms, perchlorate brines are more toxic than chlorate brines under the experimental conditions. This underscores the significance of chlorate salts when considering the habitability of Martian environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Carlo Fischer
- Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, RG Astrobiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dirk Schulze-Makuch
- Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, RG Astrobiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, Section Geomicrobiology, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Stechlin, Germany
| | - Jacob Heinz
- Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, RG Astrobiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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Kolaříková A, Perera A. Concentration Fluctuation/Microheterogeneity Duality Illustrated with Aqueous 1,4-Dioxane Mixtures. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:3473-3483. [PMID: 38687823 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.4c00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The structural properties of aqueous 1-4 dioxane mixtures are studied by computer simulations of different water and dioxane force field models, from the perspective of illustrating the link between structural properties at the molecular level and measurable properties such as radiation scattering intensities and Kirkwood-Buff integrals (KBIs). A strategy to consistently correct the KBI obtained from simulations is proposed, which allows us to obtain the genuine KBI corresponding to a given pair of molecular species, in the entire concentration range, and without necessitating excessively large system sizes. The application of this method to the aqueous dioxane mixtures, with an all-atom CHARMM dioxane model and 2 water models, namely, SPC/E and TIP3P, allows one to understand the differences in the structure of the corresponding mixtures at the molecular level, particularly concerning the role of the water aggregates and its model dependence. This study allows us to characterize the dual role played by the concentration fluctuations and the domain segregation, particularly in what concerns the calculated X-ray spectra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena Kolaříková
- Sorbonne Université, Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée (UMR CNRS 7600), 4 Place Jussieu, F75252 Paris cedex 05, France
- Faculty of Technology, Department of Physics and Materials Engineering, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Nám. T.G. Masaryka 5555, 76001 Zlín, Czech Republic
| | - Aurélien Perera
- Sorbonne Université, Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée (UMR CNRS 7600), 4 Place Jussieu, F75252 Paris cedex 05, France
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7
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Robayo-Amortegui H, Quintero-Altare A, Florez-Navas C, Serna-Palacios I, Súarez-Saavedra A, Buitrago-Bernal R, Casallas-Barrera JO. Fluid dynamics of life: exploring the physiology and importance of water in the critical illness. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1368502. [PMID: 38745736 PMCID: PMC11092983 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1368502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Water acknowledged as a vital component for life and the universal solvent, is crucial for diverse physiological processes in the human body. While essential for survival, the human body lacks the capacity to produce water, emphasizing the need for regular ingestion to maintain a homeostatic environment. The human body, predominantly composed of water, exhibits remarkable biochemical properties, playing a pivotal role in processes such as protein transport, thermoregulation, the cell cycle, and acid–base balance. This review delves into comprehending the molecular characteristics of water and its interactions within the human body. The article offers valuable insights into the intricate relationship between water and critical illness. Through a comprehensive exploration, it seeks to enhance our understanding of water’s pivotal role in sustaining overall human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Robayo-Amortegui
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Fundación Clínica Shaio, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
- Department of Medicine, Critical Care Resident, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía Cundinamarca, Colombia
| | - Alejandro Quintero-Altare
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Fundación Clínica Shaio, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
- Department of Medicine, Critical Care Resident, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía Cundinamarca, Colombia
| | - Catalina Florez-Navas
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Fundación Clínica Shaio, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
- Department of Medicine, Critical Care Resident, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía Cundinamarca, Colombia
| | - Isacio Serna-Palacios
- Department of Medicine, Critical Care Resident, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía Cundinamarca, Colombia
| | | | - Ricardo Buitrago-Bernal
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Fundación Clínica Shaio, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
- Exploratorium group, Fundación Clínica Shaio, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
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Požar M, Bolle J, Dogan-Surmeier S, Schneider E, Paulus M, Sternemann C, Perera A. On the dual behaviour of water in octanol-rich aqueous n-octanol mixtures: an X-ray scattering and computer simulation study. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:4099-4110. [PMID: 38226462 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp04651f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Aqueous n-octanol (n = 1, 2, 3, and 4) mixtures from the octanol rich side are studied by X-ray scattering and computer simulation, with a focus on structural changes, particularly in what concerns the hydration of the hydroxyl-group aggregated chain-like structures, under the influence of various branching of the alkyl tails. Previous studies have indicated that hydroxyl-group chain-cluster formation is hindered in proportion to the branching number. Here, water mole fractions up to x = 0.2 are examined, i.e. up to the miscibility limit. It is found that water molecules within the hydroxyl-chain domains participate in the chain formations in a different manner for 1-octanol and the branched octanols. The hydration of the octanol hydroxyl chains is confirmed by the shifting of the scattering pre-peak position kPP to smaller values, both from measured and simulated X-ray scattering intensities, which corresponds to an increased size of the clusters. Experimental pre-peak amplitudes are seen to increase with increasing water content for 1-octanol, while this trend is reversed in all branched octanols, with the amplitudes decreasing with the increase of the branching number. Conjecturing that the amplitudes of pre-peaks are related to the density of the corresponding aggregates, these results are interpreted as water breaking large OH hydroxyl chains in 1-octanol, hence increasing the density of aggregates, while enhancing hydroxyl aggregates in branched alcohols by inserting itself into the OH chains. The analysis of the cluster distributions from computer simulations provide more details on the role of water. For cluster sizes smaller than dc = 2π/kPP, water is found to always play the role of a structure enforcer for all n-octanols, while for clusters of size dc water is always a destructor. For cluster sizes larger than dc, the role of water differs from 1-octanol and the branched ones: it acts as a structure maker or breaker in inverse proportion to the hindering of OH hydroxyl chain structures arising from the topology of the alkyl tails (branched or not).
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Požar
- Faculty of Science, University of Split, Ru era Boškovic'a 33, 21000 Split, Croatia.
| | - Jennifer Bolle
- Fakultät Physik/DELTA, Technische Universität Dortmund, D-44221 Dortmund, Germany
| | | | - Eric Schneider
- Fakultät Physik/DELTA, Technische Universität Dortmund, D-44221 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Michael Paulus
- Fakultät Physik/DELTA, Technische Universität Dortmund, D-44221 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Christian Sternemann
- Fakultät Physik/DELTA, Technische Universität Dortmund, D-44221 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Aurélien Perera
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée (UMR CNRS 7600), Sorbonne Université, 4 Place Jussieu, F75252, Paris cedex 05, France.
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9
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Carré L, Gonzalez D, Girard É, Franzetti B. Effects of chaotropic salts on global proteome stability in halophilic archaea: Implications for life signatures on Mars. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2216-2230. [PMID: 37349893 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Halophilic archaea thriving in hypersaline environments, such as salt lakes, offer models for putative life in extraterrestrial brines such as those found on Mars. However, little is known about the effect of the chaotropic salts that could be found in such brines, such as MgCl2 , CaCl2 and (per)chlorate salts, on complex biological samples like cell lysates which could be expected to be more representative of biomarkers left behind putative extraterrestrial life forms. We used intrinsic fluorescence to study the salt dependence of proteomes extracted from five halophilic strains: Haloarcula marismortui, Halobacterium salinarum, Haloferax mediterranei, Halorubrum sodomense and Haloferax volcanii. These strains were isolated from Earth environments with different salt compositions. Among the five strains that were analysed, H. mediterranei stood out as a results of its high dependency on NaCl for its proteome stabilization. Interestingly, the results showed contrasting denaturation responses of the proteomes to chaotropic salts. In particular, the proteomes of strains that are most dependent or tolerant on MgCl2 for growth exhibited higher tolerance towards chaotropic salts that are abundant in terrestrial and Martian brines. These experiments bridge together global protein properties and environmental adaptation and help guide the search for protein-like biomarkers in extraterrestrial briny environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Carré
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Éric Girard
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France
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Wang H, Su H, Xu T, Cui H. Utilizing the Hofmeister Effect to Induce Hydrogelation of Nonionic Supramolecular Polymers into a Therapeutic Depot. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202306652. [PMID: 37669026 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202306652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Nonionic hydrogels are of particular interest for long-term therapeutic implantation due to their minimal immunogenicity relative to their charged counterparts. However, in situ formation of nonionic supramolecular hydrogels under physiological conditions has been a challenging task. In this context, we report on our discovery of salt-triggered hydrogelation of nonionic supramolecular polymers (SPs) formed by self-assembling prodrug hydrogelators (SAPHs) through the Hofmeister effect. The designed SAPHs consist of two SN-38 units, which is an active metabolite of the anticancer drug irinotecan, and a short peptide grafted with two or four oligoethylene glycol (OEG) segments. Upon self-assembly in water, the resultant nonionic SPs can be triggered to gel upon addition of phosphate salts. Our 1 H NMR studies revealed that the added phosphates led to a change in the chemical shift of the methylene protons, suggestive of a disruption of the water-ether hydrogen bonds and consequent reorganization of the hydration shell surrounding the SPs. This deshielding effect, commensurate with the amount of salt added, likely promoted associative interactions among the SAPH filaments to percolate into a 3D network. The formed hydrogels exhibited a sustained release profile of SN-38 hydrogelator that acted potently against cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Hao Su
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Tian Xu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Honggang Cui
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Oncology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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11
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Bhagat S, Pal S. A Heteronuclear NMR Study of Aqueous Lithium Salt Solutions of l-Alanine: Revealing Solute Hydrophobic Association through the NMR B' Coefficient. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:7027-7034. [PMID: 37526300 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c04144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, a set of heteronuclear NMR approaches has been adopted to investigate the solution behavior of a small hydrophobic solute l-alanine in the presence of lithium (Li) salts. The presence of salts plays a major role in determining the structure and solvation of biomolecules. It therefore evokes interest to understand the effect of Li salts on amino acids (alanine), the building block of biomolecules. The ionic solute dynamics in the present case has been probed using 1H, 7Li, and 13C nuclei available in the aqueous Li salt solution of l-alanine. Nuclear longitudinal spin relaxation of alanine protons was examined at a variable concentration range of three lithium salts, i.e., LiCl, Li2SO4 and LiClO4, to introduce the NMR B' coefficient for each salt defining ionic solute/solvent interaction in the solution. Analysis of the active relaxation mechanism of 7Li spin-lattice relaxation further revealed the presence of alanine in the solvation shell of Li ion depending on the anionic counterpart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakshi Bhagat
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, India 342037
| | - Samanwita Pal
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, India 342037
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12
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Hossain M, Chowdhury N, Atahar A, Susan MABH. Water structure modification by d-(+)-glucose at different concentrations and temperatures-effect of mutarotation. RSC Adv 2023; 13:19195-19206. [PMID: 37362346 PMCID: PMC10289138 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra03081d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Water structure modification by carbohydrates is essential both in chemistry and life processes and in particular, molecular level interaction of glucose with water is very important. With a view to developing a fundamental knowledge base, thermodynamic parameters derived from measurements of density, viscosity, and refractive index have been analyzed to investigate how d-(+)-glucose alters the structure of water at various concentrations and temperatures. The nature and extent of the interactions have been investigated using apparent molar volume, Jones-Dole constants, changes in free energy (ΔG), changes in entropy (ΔS), and changes in enthalpy (ΔH) for viscous flow. Using measurements from dynamic light scattering (DLS), the sizes of the aggregates were studied. The kinetics of mutarotation have been investigated using polarimetry and the structural effect on water during mutarotation between α-d-glucose and β-d-glucose with time has been explored by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The spectroscopic results were examined using difference spectroscopy and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS). The absorption bands of water shift to a higher wavenumber irrespective of the concentration of the solution with time due to the enhancement of the cleavage of hydrogen bonding in water. At high temperatures, three bands in the region 7100-7350 cm-1 are attributed to the first overtones of the hydrogen-bonded -O-H stretching vibration. Refractive index values indicate an increase in the density of the anomer solutions with time, suggesting an increase in free water concentration. These results provide evidence for more than one water molecule being involved in the mechanism of mutarotation and propose a concerted mechanism for proton transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hossain
- Department of Chemistry, University of Dhaka Dhaka 1000 Bangladesh
| | | | - Amiya Atahar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Dhaka Dhaka 1000 Bangladesh
| | - Md Abu Bin Hasan Susan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Dhaka Dhaka 1000 Bangladesh
- Dhaka University Nanotechnology Center (DUNC), University of Dhaka Dhaka 1000 Bangladesh
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13
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Hallsworth JE, Udaondo Z, Pedrós‐Alió C, Höfer J, Benison KC, Lloyd KG, Cordero RJB, de Campos CBL, Yakimov MM, Amils R. Scientific novelty beyond the experiment. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:1131-1173. [PMID: 36786388 PMCID: PMC10221578 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Practical experiments drive important scientific discoveries in biology, but theory-based research studies also contribute novel-sometimes paradigm-changing-findings. Here, we appraise the roles of theory-based approaches focusing on the experiment-dominated wet-biology research areas of microbial growth and survival, cell physiology, host-pathogen interactions, and competitive or symbiotic interactions. Additional examples relate to analyses of genome-sequence data, climate change and planetary health, habitability, and astrobiology. We assess the importance of thought at each step of the research process; the roles of natural philosophy, and inconsistencies in logic and language, as drivers of scientific progress; the value of thought experiments; the use and limitations of artificial intelligence technologies, including their potential for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research; and other instances when theory is the most-direct and most-scientifically robust route to scientific novelty including the development of techniques for practical experimentation or fieldwork. We highlight the intrinsic need for human engagement in scientific innovation, an issue pertinent to the ongoing controversy over papers authored using/authored by artificial intelligence (such as the large language model/chatbot ChatGPT). Other issues discussed are the way in which aspects of language can bias thinking towards the spatial rather than the temporal (and how this biased thinking can lead to skewed scientific terminology); receptivity to research that is non-mainstream; and the importance of theory-based science in education and epistemology. Whereas we briefly highlight classic works (those by Oakes Ames, Francis H.C. Crick and James D. Watson, Charles R. Darwin, Albert Einstein, James E. Lovelock, Lynn Margulis, Gilbert Ryle, Erwin R.J.A. Schrödinger, Alan M. Turing, and others), the focus is on microbiology studies that are more-recent, discussing these in the context of the scientific process and the types of scientific novelty that they represent. These include several studies carried out during the 2020 to 2022 lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic when access to research laboratories was disallowed (or limited). We interviewed the authors of some of the featured microbiology-related papers and-although we ourselves are involved in laboratory experiments and practical fieldwork-also drew from our own research experiences showing that such studies can not only produce new scientific findings but can also transcend barriers between disciplines, act counter to scientific reductionism, integrate biological data across different timescales and levels of complexity, and circumvent constraints imposed by practical techniques. In relation to urgent research needs, we believe that climate change and other global challenges may require approaches beyond the experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E. Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological SciencesQueen's University BelfastBelfastUK
| | - Zulema Udaondo
- Department of Biomedical InformaticsUniversity of Arkansas for Medical SciencesLittle RockArkansasUSA
| | - Carlos Pedrós‐Alió
- Department of Systems BiologyCentro Nacional de Biotecnología (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Juan Höfer
- Escuela de Ciencias del MarPontificia Universidad Católica de ValparaísoValparaísoChile
| | - Kathleen C. Benison
- Department of Geology and GeographyWest Virginia UniversityMorgantownWest VirginiaUSA
| | - Karen G. Lloyd
- Microbiology DepartmentUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Radamés J. B. Cordero
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and ImmunologyJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Claudia B. L. de Campos
- Institute of Science and TechnologyUniversidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP)São José dos CamposSPBrazil
| | | | - Ricardo Amils
- Department of Molecular Biology, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC‐UAM)Nicolás Cabrera n° 1, Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadridSpain
- Department of Planetology and HabitabilityCentro de Astrobiología (INTA‐CSIC)Torrejón de ArdozSpain
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14
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Noel D, Hallsworth JE, Gelhaye E, Darnet S, Sormani R, Morel-Rouhier M. Modes-of-action of antifungal compounds: Stressors and (target-site-specific) toxins, toxicants, or Toxin-stressors. Microb Biotechnol 2023. [PMID: 37191200 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungi and antifungal compounds are relevant to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. However, the modes-of-action of antifungals-whether they are naturally occurring substances or anthropogenic fungicides-are often unknown or are misallocated in terms of their mechanistic category. Here, we consider the most effective approaches to identifying whether antifungal substances are cellular stressors, toxins/toxicants (that are target-site-specific), or have a hybrid mode-of-action as Toxin-stressors (that induce cellular stress yet are target-site-specific). This newly described 'toxin-stressor' category includes some photosensitisers that target the cell membrane and, once activated by light or ultraviolet radiation, cause oxidative damage. We provide a glossary of terms and a diagrammatic representation of diverse types of stressors, toxic substances, and Toxin-stressors, a classification that is pertinent to inhibitory substances not only for fungi but for all types of cellular life. A decision-tree approach can also be used to help differentiate toxic substances from cellular stressors (Curr Opin Biotechnol 2015 33: 228-259). For compounds that target specific sites in the cell, we evaluate the relative merits of using metabolite analyses, chemical genetics, chemoproteomics, transcriptomics, and the target-based drug-discovery approach (based on that used in pharmaceutical research), focusing on both ascomycete models and the less-studied basidiomycete fungi. Chemical genetic methods to elucidate modes-of-action currently have limited application for fungi where molecular tools are not yet available; we discuss ways to circumvent this bottleneck. We also discuss ecologically commonplace scenarios in which multiple substances act to limit the functionality of the fungal cell and a number of as-yet-unresolved questions about the modes-of-action of antifungal compounds pertaining to the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John E Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Eric Gelhaye
- Université de Lorraine, INRAE, IAM, Nancy, France
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15
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Boob MM, Sukenik S, Gruebele M, Pogorelov TV. TMAO: Protecting proteins from feeling the heat. Biophys J 2023; 122:1414-1422. [PMID: 36916005 PMCID: PMC10111349 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Osmolytes are ubiquitous in the cell and play an important role in controlling protein stability under stress. The natural osmolyte trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is used by marine animals to counteract the effect of pressure denaturation at large depths. The molecular mechanism of TMAO stabilization against pressure and urea denaturation has been extensively studied, but unlike the case of other osmolytes, the ability of TMAO to protect proteins from high temperature has not been quantified. To reveal the effect of TMAO on folded and unfolded protein ensembles and the hydration shell at different temperatures, we study a mutant of the well-characterized, fast-folding model protein B (PRB). We carried out, in total, >190 μs all-atom simulations of thermal folding/unfolding of PRB at multiple temperatures and concentrations of TMAO. The simulations show increased thermal stability of PRB in the presence of TMAO. Partly structured, compact ensembles are favored over the unfolded state. TMAO forms two shells near the protein: an outer shell away from the protein surface has altered H-bond lifetimes of water molecules and increases hydration of the protein to help stabilize it; a less-populated inner shell with an opposite TMAO orientation closer to the protein surface binds exclusively to basic side chains. The cooperative cosolute effect of the inner and outer shell TMAO has a small number of TMAO molecules "herding" water molecules into two hydration shells at or near the protein surface. The stabilizing effect of TMAO on our protein saturates at 1 M despite higher TMAO solubility, so there may be little evolutionary pressure for extremophiles to produce higher intracellular TMAO concentrations, if true in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayank M Boob
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Shahar Sukenik
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Martin Gruebele
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.
| | - Taras V Pogorelov
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.
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16
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Acar M, Tatini D, Ninham BW, Rossi F, Marchettini N, Lo Nostro P. The Lyotropic Nature of Halates: An Experimental Study. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27238519. [PMID: 36500616 PMCID: PMC9739596 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27238519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Unlike halides, where the kosmotropicity decreases from fluoride to iodide, the kosmotropic nature of halates apparently increases from chlorate to iodate, in spite of the lowering in the static ionic polarizability. In this paper, we present an experimental study that confirms the results of previous simulations. The lyotropic nature of aqueous solutions of sodium halates, i.e., NaClO3, NaBrO3, and NaIO3, is investigated through density, conductivity, viscosity, and refractive index measurements as a function of temperature and salt concentration. From the experimental data, we evaluate the activity coefficients and the salt polarizability and assess the anions' nature in terms of kosmotropicity/chaotropicity. The results clearly indicate that iodate behaves as a kosmotrope, while chlorate is a chaotrope, and bromate shows an intermediate nature. This experimental study confirms that, in the case of halates XO3-, the kosmotropic-chaotropic ranking reverses with respect to halides. We also discuss and revisit the role of the anion's polarizability in the interpretation of Hofmeister phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mert Acar
- Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff” and CSGI, University of Florence, 50019 Firenze, Italy
| | - Duccio Tatini
- Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff” and CSGI, University of Florence, 50019 Firenze, Italy
| | - Barry W. Ninham
- Materials Physics (Formerly Department of Applied Mathematics), Research School of Physics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
- School of Science, University of New South Wales, Northcott Drive, Campbell, Canberra, ACT 2612, Australia
| | - Federico Rossi
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Physical Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Nadia Marchettini
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Physical Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Pierandrea Lo Nostro
- Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff” and CSGI, University of Florence, 50019 Firenze, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-055-4573010
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17
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Perturbative vibration of the coupled hydrogen-bond (O:H-O) in water. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 310:102809. [PMID: 36356480 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2022.102809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Perturbation Raman spectroscopy has underscored the hydrogen bond (O:H-O or HB) cooperativity and polarizability (HBCP) for water, which offers a proper parameter space for the performance of the HB and electrons in the energy-space-time domains. The OO repulsive coupling drives the O:H-O segmental length and energy to relax cooperatively upon perturbation. Mechanical compression shortens and stiffens the O:H nonbond while lengthens and softens the HO bond associated with polarization. However, electrification by an electric field or charge injection, or molecular undercoordination at a surface, relaxes the O:H-O in a contrasting way to the compression with derivation of the supersolid phase that is viscoelastic, less dense, thermally diffusive, and mechanically and thermally more stable. The HO bond exhibits negative thermal expansivity in the liquid and the ice-I phase while its length responds in proportional to temperature in the quasisolid phase. The O:H-O relaxation modifies the mass densities, phase boundaries, critical temperatures and the polarization endows the slipperiness of ice and superfluidity of water at the nanometer scale. Protons injection by acid solvation creates the H↔H anti-HB and introduction of electron lone pairs derives the O:⇔:O super-HB into the solutions of base or H2O2 hydrogen-peroxide. The repulsive H↔H and O:⇔:O interactions lengthen the solvent HO bond while the solute HO bond contracts because its bond order loss. Differential phonon spectroscopy quantifies the abundance, structure order, and stiffness of the bonds transiting from the mode of pristine water to the perturbed states. The HBCP and the perturbative spectroscopy have enabled the dynamic potentials for the relaxing O:H-O bond. Findings not only amplified the power of the Raman spectroscopy but also substantiated the understanding of anomalies of water subjecting to perturbation.
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Cassaro A, Pacelli C, Onofri S. Survival, metabolic activity, and ultrastructural damages of Antarctic black fungus in perchlorates media. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:992077. [PMID: 36523839 PMCID: PMC9744811 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.992077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence from recent Mars landers identified the presence of perchlorates salts at 1 wt % in regolith and their widespread distribution on the Martian surface that has been hypothesized as a critical chemical hazard for putative life forms. However, the hypersaline environment may also potentially preserve life and its biomolecules over geological timescales. The high concentration of natural perchlorates is scarcely reported on Earth. The presence of perchlorates in soil and ice has been recorded in some extreme environments including the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica, one of the best terrestrial analogues for Mars. In the frame of "Life in space" Italian astrobiology project, the polyextremophilic black fungus Cryomyces antarcticus, a eukaryotic test organism isolated from the Antarctic cryptoendolithic communities, has been tested for its resistance, when grown on different hypersaline substrata. In addition, C. antarcticus was grown on Martian relevant perchlorate medium (0.4 wt% of Mg(ClO4)2 and 0.6 wt% of Ca(ClO4)2) to investigate the possibility for the fungus to survive in Martian environment. Here, the results indicate a good survivability and metabolic activity recovery of the black fungus when grown on four Martian relevant perchlorates. A low percentage of damaged cellular membranes have been found, confirming the ultrastructural investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Cassaro
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Largo dell’Università snc, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Claudia Pacelli
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Largo dell’Università snc, Viterbo, Italy
- Human Spaceflight and Scientific Research Unit, Italian Space Agency, via del Politecnico, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvano Onofri
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Largo dell’Università snc, Viterbo, Italy
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19
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Miranda-Quintana RA, Smiatek J. Application of Fundamental Chemical Principles for Solvation Effects: A Unified Perspective for Interaction Patterns in Solution. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:8864-8872. [PMID: 36269164 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c06315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate the utility of basic chemical principles like the "|Δμ| big is good" (DMB) rule for the study of solvation interactions between distinct solutes such as ions and solvents. The corresponding approach allows us to define relevant criteria for maximum solvation energies of ion pairs in different solvents in terms of electronegativities and chemical hardnesses. Our findings reveal that the DMB principle culminates into the strong and weak acids and bases concept as recently derived for specific ion effects in various solvents. The further application of the DMB approach highlights a similar condition for the chemical hardnesses with a reminiscence to the hard/soft acids and bases principle. Comparable conclusions can also be drawn with regard to the change of the solvent. We show that favorable solvent interactions are mainly driven by low chemical hardnesses as well as high electronegativity differences between the ions and the solvent. Our findings highlight that solvation interactions are governed by basic chemical principles, which demonstrates the close similarity between solvation mechanisms and chemical reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramón Alain Miranda-Quintana
- Department of Chemistry and Quantum Theory Project, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32611, United States
| | - Jens Smiatek
- Institute for Computational Physics, University of Stuttgart, StuttgartD-70569, Germany
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20
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Wu JH, McGenity TJ, Rettberg P, Simões MF, Li WJ, Antunes A. The archaeal class Halobacteria and astrobiology: Knowledge gaps and research opportunities. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1023625. [PMID: 36312929 PMCID: PMC9608585 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1023625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Water bodies on Mars and the icy moons of the outer solar system are now recognized as likely being associated with high levels of salt. Therefore, the study of high salinity environments and their inhabitants has become increasingly relevant for Astrobiology. Members of the archaeal class Halobacteria are the most successful microbial group living in hypersaline conditions and are recognized as key model organisms for exposure experiments. Despite this, data for the class is uneven across taxa and widely dispersed across the literature, which has made it difficult to properly assess the potential for species of Halobacteria to survive under the polyextreme conditions found beyond Earth. Here we provide an overview of published data on astrobiology-linked exposure experiments performed with members of the Halobacteria, identifying clear knowledge gaps and research opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Hui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- China National Space Administration (CNSA), Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Terry J. McGenity
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | - Petra Rettberg
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Köln, Germany
| | - Marta F. Simões
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- China National Space Administration (CNSA), Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - André Antunes
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- China National Space Administration (CNSA), Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
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21
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Russo J, Fiegel J, Brogden NK. Effect of Salt Form on Gelation and Drug Delivery Properties of Diclofenac-Loaded Poloxamer Gels for Delivery to Impaired Skin. Pharm Res 2022; 39:2515-2527. [PMID: 36002613 PMCID: PMC9578569 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-022-03356-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Treating chronic wounds is a significant clinical challenge, and a topical product would be ideal for pain management. Poloxamer 407, a thermosensitive polymer, would allow an analgesic drug to be topically applied to a wound as a liquid that transitions to a gel at physiologic temperature. Using diclofenac as a model analgesic drug, our goal was to determine effects of salt form on poloxamer gelation and drug delivery from poloxamer gels applied to excised skin with impaired barrier function. METHODS Gelation properties of 17% and 20% poloxamer gels loaded with 0.4 to 1.7% diclofenac sodium, potassium, epolamine, or diethylamine were evaluated rheologically. Drug release and delivery were quantified using cellulose membranes, porcine skin, and tape-stripped porcine skin. RESULTS Poloxamer gelation temperature increased with higher diclofenac concentration, regardless of salt form; the magnitude of increase varied in the following order: sodium>potassium>diethylamine>epolamine. Gelation temperature differences resulting from the various counterions generally matched previously observed trends of ion-specific effects on macromolecule solubility (the Hofmeister series). Despite changes in gelation behavior, we observed minimal corresponding effects on drug release or delivery. There were no significant differences in diclofenac released or delivered through intact porcine skin over 48 h. However, in studies with impaired (tape-stripped) skin, diclofenac delivery was slowest overall with the epolamine salt. CONCLUSION Varying the salt form of a model analgesic drug can impact gelation and drug delivery characteristics of poloxamer systems. Further study of the mechanisms of these changes will be important for continued development of topical poloxamer products for clinical wound care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson Russo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- The University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, 180 S. Grand Ave, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Jennifer Fiegel
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Nicole K Brogden
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
- The University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, 180 S. Grand Ave, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
- Department of Dermatology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
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22
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Braga GÚL, Silva-Junior GJ, Brancini GTP, Hallsworth JE, Wainwright M. Photoantimicrobials in agriculture. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY. B, BIOLOGY 2022; 235:112548. [PMID: 36067596 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2022.112548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Classical approaches for controlling plant pathogens may be impaired by the development of pathogen resistance to chemical pesticides and by limited availability of effective antimicrobial agents. Recent increases in consumer awareness of and/or legislation regarding environmental and human health, and the urgent need to improve food security, are driving increased demand for safer antimicrobial strategies. Therefore, there is a need for a step change in the approaches used for controlling pre- and post-harvest diseases and foodborne human pathogens. The use of light-activated antimicrobial substances for the so-called antimicrobial photodynamic treatment is known to be effective not only in a clinical context, but also for use in agriculture to control plant-pathogenic fungi and bacteria, and to eliminate foodborne human pathogens from seeds, sprouted seeds, fruits, and vegetables. Here, we take a holistic approach to review and re-evaluate recent findings on: (i) the ecology of naturally-occurring photoantimicrobials, (ii) photodynamic processes including the light-activated antimicrobial activities of some plant metabolites, and (iii) fungus-induced photosensitization of plants. The inhibitory mechanisms of both natural and synthetic light-activated substances, known as photosensitizers, are discussed in the contexts of microbial stress biology and agricultural biotechnology. Their modes-of-antimicrobial action make them neither stressors nor toxins/toxicants (with specific modes of poisonous activity), but a hybrid/combination of both. We highlight the use of photoantimicrobials for the control of plant-pathogenic fungi and quantify their potential contribution to global food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilberto Ú L Braga
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-903, Brazil.
| | | | - Guilherme T P Brancini
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-903, Brazil.
| | - John E Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
| | - Mark Wainwright
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom.
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23
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Barrios N, Javier Patiño-Agudelo Á, Herbert Quina F, Salas C, Pereira J. Specific anion effects on the interfacial properties and aggregation of alkylphenol ethoxylate surfactants. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.119899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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24
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Heinz J, Doellinger J, Maus D, Schneider A, Lasch P, Grossart HP, Schulze-Makuch D. Perchlorate-Specific Proteomic Stress Responses of Debaryomyces hansenii Could Enable Microbial Survival in Martian Brines. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:5051-5065. [PMID: 35920032 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
If life exists on Mars, it would face several challenges including the presence of perchlorates, which destabilize biomacromolecules by inducing chaotropic stress. However, little is known about perchlorate toxicity for microorganism on the cellular level. Here we present the first proteomic investigation on the perchlorate-specific stress responses of the halotolerant yeast Debaryomyces hansenii and compare these to generally known salt stress adaptations. We found that the responses to NaCl and NaClO4 -induced stresses share many common metabolic features, e.g., signaling pathways, elevated energy metabolism, or osmolyte biosynthesis. Nevertheless, several new perchlorate-specific stress responses could be identified, such as protein glycosylation and cell wall remodulations, presumably in order to stabilize protein structures and the cell envelope. These stress responses would also be relevant for life on Mars, which - given the environmental conditions - likely developed chaotropic defense strategies such as stabilized confirmations of biomacromolecules and the formation of cell clusters. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Heinz
- Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, RG Astrobiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Joerg Doellinger
- Robert Koch-Institute, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Proteomics and Spectroscopy (ZBS6), Berlin, Germany
| | - Deborah Maus
- Robert Koch-Institute, Metabolism of Microbial Pathogens (NG2), Berlin, Germany
| | - Andy Schneider
- Robert Koch-Institute, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Proteomics and Spectroscopy (ZBS6), Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Lasch
- Robert Koch-Institute, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Proteomics and Spectroscopy (ZBS6), Berlin, Germany
| | - Hans-Peter Grossart
- Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 16775 Stechlin, Germany.,Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Dirk Schulze-Makuch
- Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, RG Astrobiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 16775 Stechlin, Germany.,GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, Section Geomicrobiology, Potsdam, Germany.,School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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25
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Bhattacharjee S, Pandit S, Seth D. How Kosmotropic and Chaotropic Osmolytes Perturb the Properties of an Aqueous Solution of a Pluronic Block Copolymer? LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:9347-9362. [PMID: 35868256 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Poloxamer 407 (P-407) composed of a poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-PPG-PEG) unit has two distinct microenvironments: the interior core formed by the PPG unit and the exterior shell formed by the PEG unit. In this work, we have used two fluorescent molecules coumarin-153 and 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonic acid (ANS) of contrasting natures to characterize and probe the water dynamics in the core and corona regions of the copolymer by means of spectroscopic techniques, namely, absorption, fluorescence, and time-resolved fluorescence emission spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Changes in the surface morphologies were characterized by using microscopic techniques. Further, two classes of osmolytes kosmotropic (betaine and sarcosine) and chaotropic (urea) known to perturb the water structure were added to aqueous solutions of P-407. Our studies reveal that the addition of kosmotropes decreases the critical micelle temperature (CMT) of the copolymer, whereas the chaotropic osmolyte increases the CMT. Steady-state studies reveal that the addition of the osmolytes to the copolymer increases the polarity of the micelle formed and hence results in the red shift in the ANS absorbance maximum. FTIR spectroscopy reveals that kosmotropes interact with the PEG moiety of the copolymer, whereas the chaotrope interacts with both the PEG and PPG moieties of the copolymer. Solvent relaxation studies produced less changes upon the addition of the kosmotropes, whereas a greater change in the relaxation time was observed in the presence of the chaotrope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanyukta Bhattacharjee
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Patna, Bihar 801103, India
| | - Souvik Pandit
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Patna, Bihar 801103, India
| | - Debabrata Seth
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Patna, Bihar 801103, India
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Asakereh I, Lee K, Francisco OA, Khajehpour M. Hofmeister Effects of Group II Cations as Seen in the Unfolding of Ribonuclease A. Chemphyschem 2022; 23:e202100884. [PMID: 35421259 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202100884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
This work studies the effects of alkaline-earth cation addition upon the unfolding free energy of a model protein, pancreatic Ribonuclease A (RNase A) by DSC analysis. RNase A was chosen because it: a) does not specifically bind Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ and Sr 2+ cations and b) maintains its structural integrity throughout a large pH range. We have measured and compared the effects of NaCl, MgCl 2 , CaCl 2 and SrCl 2 addition on the melting point of RNase A. Our results show that even though the addition of group II cations to aqueous solvent reduces the solubility of nonpolar residues (and enhances the hydrophobic effect), their interactions with the amide moieties are strong enough to "salt-them-in" the solvent, thereby causing an overall reduction in protein stability. We demonstrate that amide-cation interactions are a major contributor to the observed "Hofmeister Effects" of group II cations in protein folding. Our analysis suggests that protein folding "Hofmeister Effects" of group II cations, are mostly the aggregate sum of how cation addition simultaneously salts-out hydrophobic moieties through increasing the cavitation free energy, while promoting the salting-in of amide moieties through contact pair formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iman Asakereh
- University of Manitoba, Chemistry, Dept of Chemistry, University of Manitob, Winnipeg, R3T2N2, Winnipeg, CANADA
| | - Katherine Lee
- University of Manitoba, Chemistry, Dept of Chemistry, University of Manitob, Winnipeg, R3T2N2, Winnipeg, CANADA
| | - Olga A Francisco
- University of Manitoba, Chemistry, Dept of Chemistry, University of Manitob, Winnipeg, R3T2N2, Winnipeg, CANADA
| | - Mazdak Khajehpour
- University of Manitoba, Chemistry, Dept of Chemistry, University of Manitob, R3T2N2, Winnipeg, CANADA
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Active Microbial Airborne Dispersal and Biomorphs as Confounding Factors for Life Detection in the Cell-Degrading Brines of the Polyextreme Dallol Geothermal Field. mBio 2022; 13:e0030722. [PMID: 35384698 PMCID: PMC9040726 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00307-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the precise limits of life in polyextreme environments is challenging. Studies along gradients of polyextreme conditions in the Dallol proto-volcano area (Danakil salt desert, Ethiopia) showed the occurrence of archaea-dominated communities (up to 99%) in several hypersaline systems but strongly suggested that life did not thrive in the hyperacidic (pH ∼0), hypersaline (∼35% [wt/vol],) and sometimes hot (up to 108°C) ponds of the Dallol dome. However, it was recently claimed that archaea flourish in these brines based on the detection of one Nanohaloarchaeotas 16S rRNA gene and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments with archaea-specific probes. Here, we characterized the diversity of microorganisms in aerosols over Dallol, and we show that, in addition to typical bacteria from soil/dust, they transport halophilic archaea likely originating from neighboring hypersaline ecosystems. We also show that cells and DNA from cultures and natural local halophilic communities are rapidly destroyed upon contact with Dallol brine. Furthermore, we confirm the widespread occurrence of mineral particles, including silica-based biomorphs, in Dallol brines. FISH experiments using appropriate controls show that DNA fluorescent probes and dyes unspecifically bind to mineral precipitates in Dallol brines; cellular morphologies were unambiguously observed only in nearby hypersaline ecosystems. Our results show that airborne cell dispersal and unspecific binding of fluorescent probes are confounding factors likely affecting previous inferences of archaea thriving in Dallol. They highlight the need for controls and the consideration of alternative abiotic explanations before safely drawing conclusions about the presence of life in polyextreme terrestrial or extraterrestrial systems.
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Li L, Sun W, Tong Z, Bo M, Ken Ostrikov K, Huang Y, Sun CQ. Discriminative ionic polarizability of alkali halide solutions: Hydration cells, bond distortion, surface stress, and viscosity. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2021.118062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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29
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Abstract
Water is the cellular milieu, drives all biochemistry within Earth's biosphere and facilitates microbe-mediated decay processes. Instead of reviewing these topics, the current article focuses on the activities of water as a preservative-its capacity to maintain the long-term integrity and viability of microbial cells-and identifies the mechanisms by which this occurs. Water provides for, and maintains, cellular structures; buffers against thermodynamic extremes, at various scales; can mitigate events that are traumatic to the cell membrane, such as desiccation-rehydration, freeze-thawing and thermal shock; prevents microbial dehydration that can otherwise exacerbate oxidative damage; mitigates against biocidal factors (in some circumstances reducing ultraviolet radiation and diluting solute stressors or toxic substances); and is effective at electrostatic screening so prevents damage to the cell by the intense electrostatic fields of some ions. In addition, the water retained in desiccated cells (historically referred to as 'bound' water) plays key roles in biomacromolecular structures and their interactions even for fully hydrated cells. Assuming that the components of the cell membrane are chemically stable or at least repairable, and the environment is fairly constant, water molecules can apparently maintain membrane geometries over very long periods provided these configurations represent thermodynamically stable states. The spores and vegetative cells of many microbes survive longer in the presence of vapour-phase water (at moderate-to-high relative humidities) than under more-arid conditions. There are several mechanisms by which large bodies of water, when cooled during subzero weather conditions remain in a liquid state thus preventing potentially dangerous (freeze-thaw) transitions for their microbiome. Microbial life can be preserved in pure water, freshwater systems, seawater, brines, ice/permafrost, sugar-rich aqueous milieux and vapour-phase water according to laboratory-based studies carried out over periods of years to decades and some natural environments that have yielded cells that are apparently thousands, or even (for hypersaline fluid inclusions of mineralized NaCl) hundreds of millions, of years old. The term preservative has often been restricted to those substances used to extend the shelf life of foods (e.g. sodium benzoate, nitrites and sulphites) or those used to conserve dead organisms, such as ethanol or formaldehyde. For living microorganisms however, the ultimate preservative may actually be water. Implications of this role are discussed with reference to the ecology of halophiles, human pathogens and other microbes; food science; biotechnology; biosignatures for life and other aspects of astrobiology; and the large-scale release/reactivation of preserved microbes caused by global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E. Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food SecuritySchool of Biological SciencesQueen’s University Belfast19 Chlorine GardensBelfastBT9 5DLUK
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30
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Sun J, Li W, Liao H, Li L, Ni H, Chen F, Li Q. Adding sorbitol improves the thermostability of α-l-rhamnosidase from Aspergillus niger and increases the conversion of hesperidin. J Food Biochem 2021; 46:e14055. [PMID: 34967461 DOI: 10.1111/jfbc.14055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we found the addition of sorbitol could improve the thermostability of α-l-rhamnosidase from Aspergillus niger. When α-l-rhamnosidase with sorbitol was heat-treated at 60°C, 65°C, and 70°C, the half-life t1/2 increased by 28-, 18-, and 9-fold, respectively. Inactivation thermodynamic analysis showed that both Ea and ΔG≠ of α-l-rhamnosidase increased. Through the response surface methodology (RSM) analysis, the higher hesperidin conversion (63.26%) by α-l-rhamnosidase was attained with 0.7 M sorbitol at 60°C and pH 4.5 for 10 min. Furthermore, hesperidin could be completely hydrolyzed after 10 hr of reaction. Overall, the results indicated that the addition of sorbitol improved the thermostability of α-l-rhamnosidase and increased the enzymatic conversion of hesperidin to hesperetin-7-O-glucoside (HMG). It also provided a simple and efficient way to increase enzymatic conversion of other valuable flavonoid monomers due to the broad substrate specificities of α-l-rhamnosidase from A. niger. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Hesperetin-7-O-glucoside (HMG), a derhamnosylation product of hesperidin, is considered as a synthetic precursor for novel and efficient sweeteners and is important in food, functional food, and nutraceutical industries. Compared to chemical hydrolysis methods, the enzymatic conversion of hesperidin is milder and has the advantages of high specificity. Adding sorbitol can improve the thermostability of α-l-rhamnosidase and increase the enzyme efficacy against hesperidin. This study gave more evidence that adding sorbitol could improve the thermostability of enzymes and provide a better choice for improving biotransformation potency of enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Sun
- College of Food and Biology Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, China
| | - Wenjing Li
- College of Food and Biology Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, China
| | - Hui Liao
- College of Food and Biology Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, China
| | - Lijun Li
- College of Food and Biology Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Enzyme Engineering, Xiamen, China.,Research Center of Food Biotechnology of Xiamen City, Xiamen, China
| | - Hui Ni
- College of Food and Biology Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Enzyme Engineering, Xiamen, China.,Research Center of Food Biotechnology of Xiamen City, Xiamen, China
| | - Feng Chen
- College of Food and Biology Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, China.,Department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Qingbiao Li
- College of Food and Biology Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Enzyme Engineering, Xiamen, China.,Research Center of Food Biotechnology of Xiamen City, Xiamen, China
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31
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Miranda-Quintana RA, Smiatek J. Specific Ion Effects in Different Media: Current Status and Future Challenges. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:13840-13849. [PMID: 34918938 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c07957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We discuss the current state of research as well as the future challenges for a deeper understanding of specific ion effects in protic and aprotic solvents as well as various additional media. Despite recent interest in solute or interfacial effects, we focus exclusively on the specific properties of ions in bulk electrolyte solutions. Corresponding results show that many mechanisms remain unknown for these simple media, although theoretical, computational, and experimental studies have provided some insights into explaining individual observations. In particular, the importance of local interactions and electronic properties is emphasized, which enabled a more consistent interpretation of specific ion effects over the past years. Despite current insufficient knowledge, we also discuss future challenges in relation to dynamic properties as well as the influence of different concentrations, different solvents, and solute contributions to gain a deeper understanding of specific ion effects for technological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramón Alain Miranda-Quintana
- Department of Chemistry and Quantum Theory Project, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Jens Smiatek
- Institute for Computational Physics, University of Stuttgart, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany.,Digitalization Development Biologicals CMC, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, D-88397 Biberach (Riss), Germany
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32
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Abolghasemi-Dehaghani S, Gharanfoli M, Habibi-Rezaei M, Khavari-Nejad RA. Enhanced recovery yield by utilizing an improved purification method for recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone expressed in CHO cells: Applying CaptureSelect™-FSH affinity matrix. J LIQ CHROMATOGR R T 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/10826076.2021.1960857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohsen Gharanfoli
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehran Habibi-Rezaei
- Protein Biotechnology Research Lab (PBRL), School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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33
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Shen Y, Wei X, Wang Y, Shen Y, Li L, Huang Y, Ostrikov KK, Sun CQ. Energy absorbancy and freezing-temperature tunability of NaCl solutions during ice formation. J Mol Liq 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2021.117928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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34
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Laurent H, Baker DL, Soper AK, Ries ME, Dougan L. Bridging Structure, Dynamics, and Thermodynamics: An Example Study on Aqueous Potassium Halides. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:12774-12786. [PMID: 34757756 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c06728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Aqueous salt systems are ubiquitous in all areas of life. The ions in these solutions impose important structural and dynamic perturbations to water. In this study, we employ a combined neutron scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance, and computational modeling approach to deconstruct ion-specific perturbations to water structure and dynamics and shed light on the molecular origins of bulk thermodynamic properties of the solutions. Our approach uses the atomistic scale resolution offered to us by neutron scattering and computational modeling to investigate how the properties of particular short-ranged microenvironments within aqueous systems can be related to bulk properties of the system. We find that by considering only the water molecules in the first hydration shell of the ions that the enthalpy of hydration can be determined. We also quantify the range over which ions perturb water structure by calculating the average enthalpic interaction between a central halide anion and the surrounding water molecules as a function of distance and find that the favorable anion-water enthalpic interactions only extend to ∼4 Å. We further validate this by showing that ions induce structure in their solvating water molecules by examining the distribution of dipole angles in the first hydration shell of the ions but that this perturbation does not extend into the bulk water. We then use these structural findings to justify mathematical models that allow us to examine perturbations to rotational and diffusive dynamics in the first hydration shell around the potassium halide ions from NMR measurements. This shows that as one moves down the halide series from fluorine to iodine, and ionic charge density is therefore reduced, that the enthalpy of hydration becomes less negative. The first hydration shell also becomes less well structured, and rotational and diffusive motions of the hydrating water molecules are increased. This reduction in structure and increase in dynamics are likely the origin of the previously observed increased entropy of hydration as one moves down the halide series. These results also suggest that simple monovalent potassium halide ions induce mostly local perturbations to water structure and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrison Laurent
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Daniel L Baker
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Alan K Soper
- ISIS Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, U.K
| | - Michael E Ries
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Lorna Dougan
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K.,Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
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35
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Miranda-Quintana RA, Smiatek J. Electronic Properties of Protein Destabilizers and Stabilizers: Implications for Preferential Binding and Exclusion Mechanisms. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:11857-11868. [PMID: 34672590 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c06295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We study the electronic properties of low-weight organic co-solutes by means of conceptual density functional theory calculations. Our results highlight the important role of certain chemical reactivity descriptors such as chemical hardness, electronegativity, nucleofugality, and the electrofugality as important criteria to classify protein stabilizers and destabilizers. Our results imply Lewis basic properties with lower chemical hardness for stabilizers, while destabilizers show higher Lewis acidity with higher chemical hardness. Further consideration of analytical calculations in terms of transfer energies reveals the crucial role of co-solute-protein interactions which significantly change the interaction pattern of the stabilizing or destabilizing species. The corresponding outcomes connect statistical thermodynamics with the electronic properties of co-solutes and also allow us to define general principles for strong stabilizers and destabilizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramón Alain Miranda-Quintana
- Department of Chemistry and Quantum Theory Project, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Jens Smiatek
- Institute for Computational Physics, University of Stuttgart, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
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36
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The Groundwater Geochemistry and the Human Health Risk Assessment of Drinking Water in an Area with a High Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu), Sri Lanka. J CHEM-NY 2021. [DOI: 10.1155/2021/1755140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) has become an alarming health issue in Sri Lanka. The disease is more notable among farming communities and people who consume groundwater as their main source of drinking water. To assess the possible links between drinking water chemistry and expansion of CKDu, the study was compared with hydrogeochemical data of drinking water sources in a CKDu prevalent area (Girandurukotte GND, Badulla District) and a reference area (Dambethalawa GND, Ampara District) in Sri Lanka. Based on the results, nephrotoxic heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Pb, and As) concentrations were significantly higher in the CKDu prevalent site than the reference area, compromised the harmful consequences to the people in the CKDu hotspot. Results of the inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation tool indicated the nephrotoxic heavy metals contents including Cd, Pb, As, and Cr in CKDu hotspot were changed in the ranges of 9.78–187.25 μg/L, 0.08–0.66 μg/L, 20.76–103.30 μg/L, and 0.03–0.34 μg/L. The random distribution patterns were shown by the result in Moran’s index values. Noteworthy, the results have emphasized a strong association between fluoride and water hardness. The frequency of occurrence above the threshold limit of fluoride was 28% in non-CKDu water samples, while 81% in CKDu prevalent sites. The hardness values in the CKDu prevalent site indicated “moderately hard water,” while the non-CKDu area indicated the “soft water.” Furthermore, this paper quantified overall water quality and heavy metal contamination and assessed the human health risks associated with drinking water. According to the results of the water quality index, 90% of the samples in the CKDu prevalent area were classified as “poor water” and “very poor water” for drinking purposes, while 73.33% of the samples in the non-CKDu area were “good” and “excellent” for drinking usage. Calculated chronic daily intake (CDIoral) and hazard quotient (HQoral) of nephrotoxicants were higher in CKDu hotspot than the non-CKDu site. Besides, the hazard index (HI) values obtained for the CKDu prevalent area exceeding the acceptable limit (HI = 1) indicated potential health risks to the people in those areas. This study suggests that long-term exposure to nephrotoxic heavy metals, water hardness, and fluoride present in drinking water may threaten human health and affect kidney functions. Therefore, regular monitoring and better management of water supplies in CKDu prevalent areas are essential to determine the contamination load and reduce the health impacts due to excessive and long-term exposure to the nephrotoxicants.
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37
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Synthesis of Ammonium-Based Ionic Liquids for the Extraction Process of a Natural Pigment (Betanin). Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26185458. [PMID: 34576933 PMCID: PMC8465181 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26185458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of new synthesized ammonium-based ionic liquids was explored as an alternative to the current process implemented in the betanin extraction from red beet juice, resulting in high yields: 70% and 82%. Betanin is a vegetal pigment that has been applied to a large variety of products in the food industry, which is important, for it can work as a substitute for the red synthetic dyes used nowadays. Additionally, the use of the kosmotropic salt sodium acetate was explored in order to separate the complex formed by the ionic liquid and pigment of interest in a process that combined two techniques: ATPS (aqueous two-phase system) and SOES (salting-out extraction system). The results reveal that the studied techniques could work as a novel process for the extraction of betanin from red beet juice employing ionic liquids, which have not been tested for this purpose in other research.
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38
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Jakubowska A. Interactions of divalent metal cations with headgroups of monomers, dimers, and trimers of anionic surfactant. J Mol Liq 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2021.116331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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39
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Drecun O, Striolo A, Bernardini C. Structural and dynamic properties of some aqueous salt solutions. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:15224-15235. [PMID: 34235528 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp05331g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Aqueous salt solutions are utilized and encountered in wide-ranging technological applications and natural settings. Towards improved understanding of the effect of salts on the dynamic properties of such systems, dilute aqueous salt solutions (up to 1 molar concentration) are investigated here, via experiments and molecular simulations. Four salts are considered: sodium chloride, for which published results are readily available for comparison, ammonium acetate, barium acetate and barium nitrate, for which published data are scarce. In the present work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are conducted to quantify viscosity and water self-diffusion coefficients, together with rheometry and Pulsed Field Gradient Spin Echo (PFGSE)-NMR experiments for validation. Simulation predictions are consistent with experimental observations in terms of trend and magnitude of salt-specific effects. Combining insights from the approaches considered, an interpretation of the results is proposed whereby the capacity of salts to influence bulk dynamics arises from their molecular interfacial area and strength of interaction with first hydration-shell water molecules. For the concentration range investigated, the interpretation could be useful in formulating aqueous systems for applications including the manufacturing of advanced catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivera Drecun
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, UK.
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40
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Guyot S, Pottier L, Bertheau L, Dumont J, Dorelle Hondjuila Miokono E, Dupont S, Ragon M, Denimal E, Marin A, Hallsworth JE, Beney L, Gervais P. Increased xerotolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae during an osmotic pressure ramp over several generations. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:1445-1461. [PMID: 33739621 PMCID: PMC8313259 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Although mechanisms involved in response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to osmotic challenge are well described for low and sudden stresses, little is known about how cells respond to a gradual increase of the osmotic pressure (reduced water activity; aw ) over several generations as it could encounter during drying in nature or in food processes. Using glycerol as a stressor, we propagated S. cerevisiae through a ramp of the osmotic pressure (up to high molar concentrations to achieve testing-to-destruction) at the rate of 1.5 MPa day-1 from 1.38 to 58.5 MPa (0.990-0.635 aw ). Cultivability (measured at 1.38 MPa and at the harvest osmotic pressure) and glucose consumption compared with the corresponding sudden stress showed that yeasts were able to grow until about 10.5 MPa (0.926 aw ) and to survive until about 58.5 MPa, whereas glucose consumption occurred until 13.5 MPa (about 0.915 aw ). Nevertheless, the ramp conferred an advantage since yeasts harvested at 10.5 and 34.5 MPa (0.778 aw ) showed a greater cultivability than glycerol-shocked cells after a subsequent shock at 200 MPa (0.234 aw ) for 2 days. FTIR analysis revealed structural changes in wall and proteins in the range 1.38-10.5 MPa, which would be likely to be involved in the resistance at extreme osmotic pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Guyot
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, AgroSup Dijon, PAM UMR A 02.102, Dijon, F-21000, France
| | - Laurence Pottier
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, AgroSup Dijon, PAM UMR A 02.102, Dijon, F-21000, France
| | - Lucie Bertheau
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, AgroSup Dijon, PAM UMR A 02.102, Dijon, F-21000, France
| | - Jennifer Dumont
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, AgroSup Dijon, PAM UMR A 02.102, Dijon, F-21000, France
| | | | - Sébastien Dupont
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, AgroSup Dijon, PAM UMR A 02.102, Dijon, F-21000, France
| | - Mélanie Ragon
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, AgroSup Dijon, PAM UMR A 02.102, Dijon, F-21000, France
| | - Emmanuel Denimal
- Direction des Systèmes d'Information, AgroSup Dijon, 26 Boulevard Docteur Petitjean, Dijon, 21000, France
| | - Ambroise Marin
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, AgroSup Dijon, PAM UMR A 02.102, Dijon, F-21000, France
| | - John E Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Laurent Beney
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, AgroSup Dijon, PAM UMR A 02.102, Dijon, F-21000, France
| | - Patrick Gervais
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, AgroSup Dijon, PAM UMR A 02.102, Dijon, F-21000, France
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41
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Chialvo AA, Crisalle OD. Osmolyte-Induced Effects on the Hydration Behavior and the Osmotic Second Virial Coefficients of Alkyl-Substituted Urea Derivatives: Critical Assessment of Their Structure-Making/Breaking Behavior. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:6231-6243. [PMID: 34086462 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c01855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
We analyzed the hydration behavior of alkyl-substituted urea osmolytes in terms of their deviation from Lewis-Randall solution ideality and characterized their structure-making/breaking tendency according to a proposed solvation formalism that provides a rigorous cause-effect connection between the system microstructure and its solution thermodynamic nonidealities. After a brief introduction of the rationale behind the use of Lewis-Randall over alternative solution ideality references, we (i) assessed the effect of the nature and type of alkyl substitution on the osmolyte-induced perturbation of the solution microstructure as a function of composition, (ii) analyzed their microstructural responses to changes in temperature and pressure, and (iii) demonstrated the structure-breaking nature of urea and the magnifying behavior of its alkyl-substituted osmolytes, whose trend follows the increasingly positive deviation of the osmolyte solutions from Lewis-Randall ideality. Then, we discussed the falsifiability of a pair of frequently used conjectured structure-making/breaking criteria, supported by the derived exact relationships between the structure-making/breaking parameter, the solution thermodynamic nonideality, and the osmotic second virial coefficient of the aqueous osmolytes. Finally, we provided an outlook on how the proposed approach could guide the quest for a truly (microstructural to free energy) causative explanation for the denaturation mechanism of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Oscar D Crisalle
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
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Macošek J, Mas G, Hiller S. Redefining Molecular Chaperones as Chaotropes. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:683132. [PMID: 34195228 PMCID: PMC8237284 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.683132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular chaperones are the key instruments of bacterial protein homeostasis. Chaperones not only facilitate folding of client proteins, but also transport them, prevent their aggregation, dissolve aggregates and resolve misfolded states. Despite this seemingly large variety, single chaperones can perform several of these functions even on multiple different clients, thus suggesting a single biophysical mechanism underlying. Numerous recently elucidated structures of bacterial chaperone–client complexes show that dynamic interactions between chaperones and their client proteins stabilize conformationally flexible non-native client states, which results in client protein denaturation. Based on these findings, we propose chaotropicity as a suitable biophysical concept to rationalize the generic activity of chaperones. We discuss the consequences of applying this concept in the context of ATP-dependent and -independent chaperones and their functional regulation.
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Oliveira LA, Macedo MM, Rodrigues JLS, Lima ES, Hamill PG, Dallas TD, Lima MP, Souza ES, Hallsworth JE, Souza JVB. Plant metabolite 5-pentadecyl resorcinol is produced by the Amazonian fungus Penicillium sclerotiorum LM 5679. BRAZ J BIOL 2021; 82:e241863. [PMID: 34133562 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.241863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the classic studies of Alexander Flemming, Penicillium strains have been known as a rich source of antimicrobial substances. Recent studies have identified novel metabolites produced by Penicillium sclerotiorum that have antibacterial, antifouling and pharmaceutical activities. Here, we report the isolation of a P. sclerotiorum (LM 5679) from Amazonian soil and carry out a culture-based study to determine whether it can produce any novel secondary metabolite(s) that are not thus-far reported for this genus. Using a submerged culture system, secondary metabolites were recovered by solvent extract followed by thin-layer chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectroscopy. One novel secondary metabolite was isolated from P. sclerotiorum (LM 5679); the phenolic compound 5-pentadecyl resorcinol widely known as an antifungal, that is produced by diverse plant species. This metabolite was not reported previously in any Penicillium species and was only found once before in fungi (that time, in a Fusarium). Here, we discuss the known activities of 5-pentadecyl resorcinol in the context of its mode-of-action as a hydrophobic (chaotropicity-mediated) stressor.
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Affiliation(s)
- L A Oliveira
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas - UEA, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - M M Macedo
- Centro Universitário do Norte - UNINORTE, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - J L S Rodrigues
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Departamento de Produtos Naturais, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - E S Lima
- Universidade Federal do Amazonas - UFAM, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - P G Hamill
- Queen's University Belfast, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Belfast, UK
| | - T D Dallas
- Queen's University Belfast, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Belfast, UK
| | - M P Lima
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Departamento de Produtos Naturais, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - E S Souza
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas - UEA, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - J E Hallsworth
- Queen's University Belfast, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Belfast, UK
| | - J V B Souza
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Laboratório de Micologia, Manaus, AM, Brasil
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44
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Hallsworth JE. Mars' surface is not universally biocidal. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:3345-3350. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John E. Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences Queen's University Belfast 19 Chlorine Gardens Belfast BT9 7BL UK
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45
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Piechocki K, Kozanecki M. Hydration in thermo-responsive oligoether methacrylate hydrogels studied by FT-IR spectroscopy. POLYMER 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2021.123638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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46
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Sepulveda-Medina PI, Tyagi M, Wang C, Vogt BD. Water dynamics within nanostructured amphiphilic statistical copolymers from quasielastic neutron scattering. J Chem Phys 2021; 154:154903. [PMID: 33887940 DOI: 10.1063/5.0045341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the properties of water under either soft or hard confinement has been an area of great interest, but nanostructured amphiphilic polymers that provide a secondary confinement have garnered significantly less attention. Here, a series of statistical copolymers of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) and 2-(N-ethylperfluorooctane sulfonamido)ethyl methacrylate (FOSM) are swollen to equilibrium in water to form nanostructured physically cross-linked hydrogels to probe the effect of soft confinement on the dynamics of water. Changing the composition of the copolymer from 10 to 21 mol. % FOSM decreases the average size of the assembled FOSM cross-link, but also the spacing between the cross-links in the hydrogels with the mean distance between the FOSM aggregates decreasing from 3.9 to 2.7 nm. The dynamics of water within the hydrogels were assessed with quasielastic neutron scattering. These hydrogels exhibit superior performance for inhibition of water crystallization on supercooling in comparison to analogous hydrogels with different hydrophilic copolymer chemistries. Despite the lower water crystallinity, the self-diffusion coefficient for these hydrogels from the copolymers of HEA and FOSM decreases precipitously below 260 K, which is a counter to the nearly temperature invariant water dynamics reported previously with an analogous hydrogel [Wiener et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 120, 5543 (2016)] that exhibits nearly temperature invariant dynamics to 220 K. These results point to chemistry dependent dynamics of water that is confined within amphiphilic hydrogels, where the interactions of water with the hydrophilic segments can qualitatively alter the temperature dependent dynamics of water in the supercooled state.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Madhusudan Tyagi
- Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
| | - Chao Wang
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, USA
| | - Bryan D Vogt
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, USA
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47
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Klempay B, Arandia-Gorostidi N, Dekas AE, Bartlett DH, Carr CE, Doran PT, Dutta A, Erazo N, Fisher LA, Glass JB, Pontefract A, Som SM, Wilson JM, Schmidt BE, Bowman JS. Microbial diversity and activity in Southern California salterns and bitterns: analogues for remnant ocean worlds. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:3825-3839. [PMID: 33621409 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Concurrent osmotic and chaotropic stress make MgCl2 -rich brines extremely inhospitable environments. Understanding the limits of life in these brines is essential to the search for extraterrestrial life on contemporary and relict ocean worlds, like Mars, which could host similar environments. We sequenced environmental 16S rRNA genes and quantified microbial activity across a broad range of salinity and chaotropicity at a Mars-analogue salt harvesting facility in Southern California, where seawater is evaporated in a series of ponds ranging from kosmotropic NaCl brines to highly chaotropic MgCl2 brines. Within NaCl brines, we observed a proliferation of specialized halophilic Euryarchaeota, which corresponded closely with the dominant taxa found in salterns around the world. These communities were characterized by very slow growth rates and high biomass accumulation. As salinity and chaotropicity increased, we found that the MgCl2 -rich brines eventually exceeded the limits of microbial activity. We found evidence that exogenous genetic material is preserved in these chaotropic brines, producing an unexpected increase in diversity in the presumably sterile MgCl2 -saturated brines. Because of their high potential for biomarker preservation, chaotropic brines could therefore serve as repositories of genetic biomarkers from nearby environments (both on Earth and beyond) making them prime targets for future life-detection missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Klempay
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | | | - Anne E Dekas
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Douglas H Bartlett
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Christopher E Carr
- Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.,School of Earth and Atmospheric Studies, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Peter T Doran
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Avishek Dutta
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Natalia Erazo
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Luke A Fisher
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Jennifer B Glass
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Studies, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | | | - Sanjoy M Som
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, 98154, USA
| | - Jesse M Wilson
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Britney E Schmidt
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Studies, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Jeff S Bowman
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
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48
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Lassenberger A, Martel A, Porcar L, Baccile N. Interpenetrated biosurfactant-silk fibroin networks - a SANS study. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:2302-2314. [PMID: 33480918 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01869d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Silk fibroin (SF) based hydrogels have been exploited for years for their inherent biocompatibility and favorable mechanical properties which makes them interesting for biotechnology applications. In this study we investigate silk based composite hydrogels where pH-sensitive, anionic biosurfactant assemblies (sophorolipids SL-C18 : 1 and SL-C18 : 0), are employed to improve the present properties of SF. Results suggest that the presence of SL surfactant assemblies leads to faster gelling of SF by accelerating the refolding from random coil to β-sheet as shown by infrared and UV-visible spectroscopy. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) including contrast matching studies show that SF and SL assemblies coexist in a fibrillary network that is, in the case of SL-C18 : 0, interpenetrating. The resulting overall network structure in composite gels is slightly more affected by SL-C18 : 1 than by SL-C18 : 0, whereas the structure of both SF and surfactant assemblies remains unchanged. No disassembly of SL surfactant structures is observed, which gives a new perspective on SF-surfactant interactions. The hydrophobic effect within SF is favored in the presence of SL, leading to faster refolding of SF into β-sheet conformation. The presented composite gels, being an interpenetrating network of which one compound (SL-C18 : 0) can be tweaked by pH, open an interesting option towards improved workability and stimuli responsive mechanical properties of SF based hydrogels with possible applications in controlled cell culture and tissue engineering or drug delivery. The presented SANS analysis approach has the potential to be expanded to other protein-surfactant systems and composite hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Lassenberger
- Institut Laue-Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
| | - Anne Martel
- Institut Laue-Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
| | - Lionel Porcar
- Institut Laue-Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
| | - Niki Baccile
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, LCMCP, Sorbonne Université, Paris F-75005, France.
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49
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Fisher LA, Pontefract A, Som S, Carr CE, Klempay B, Schmidt B, Bowman J, Bartlett DH. Current state of athalassohaline deep‐sea hypersaline anoxic basin research—recommendations for future work and relevance to astrobiology. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:3360-3369. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Luke A. Fisher
- Marine Biology Research Division Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego La Jolla CA 92093‐0202 USA
| | | | - Sanjoy Som
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science Seattle WA 98104 USA
| | - Christopher E. Carr
- Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332 USA
- Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332 USA
| | - Benjamin Klempay
- Integrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla CA 92093‐0218 USA
| | - Britney Schmidt
- Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332 USA
| | - Jeff Bowman
- Integrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla CA 92093‐0218 USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation University of California San Diego La Jolla CA 92093‐0218 USA
| | - Douglas H. Bartlett
- Marine Biology Research Division Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego La Jolla CA 92093‐0202 USA
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50
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Martínez JM, Escudero C, Rodríguez N, Rubin S, Amils R. Subsurface and surface halophile communities of the chaotropic Salar de Uyuni. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:3987-4001. [PMID: 33511754 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Salar de Uyuni (SdU) is the biggest athalosaline environment on Earth, holding a high percentage of the known world Li reserves. Due to its hypersalinity, temperature and humidity fluctuations, high exposure to UV radiation, and its elevated concentration of chaotropic agents like MgCl2 , LiCl and NaBr, SdU is considered a polyextreme environment. Here, we report the prokaryotic abundance and diversity of 46 samples obtained in different seasons and geographical areas. The identified bacterial community was found to be more heterogeneous than the archaeal community, with both communities varying geographically. A seasonal difference has been detected for archaea. Salinibacter, Halonotius and Halorubrum were the most abundant genera in Salar de Uyuni. Different unclassified archaea were also detected. In addition, the diversity of two subsurface samples obtained at 20 and 80 m depth was evaluated and compared with the surface data, generating an evolutionary record of a multilayer hypersaline ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Martínez
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (CBMSO, CSIC-UAM), Cantoblanco, Madrid, 28049, Spain
| | - Cristina Escudero
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB, INTA-CSIC), Torrejón de Ardoz, 28055, Spain
| | - Nuria Rodríguez
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB, INTA-CSIC), Torrejón de Ardoz, 28055, Spain
| | - Sergio Rubin
- Université Catholique de Louvain, Earth and Life Institute, Georges Lamaitre Center for Earth and Climate Research, Gante, Belgium.,Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, CNIB, Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - Ricardo Amils
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (CBMSO, CSIC-UAM), Cantoblanco, Madrid, 28049, Spain.,Centro de Astrobiología (CAB, INTA-CSIC), Torrejón de Ardoz, 28055, Spain
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